Synopsis: |
Anthropology and Modern Life, first published in 1929, addresses itself to an immensely broad field with clarity, introducing anthropology as a unique and coherent discipline, and demonstrating its importance in the understanding of socio-cultural change throughout history. The author covers varied and diverse areas of study: ethnicity, including a lengthy discussion of the concepts of `race' and `nationality'; criminology, and the importance of hereditary and environmental factors in producing criminals; education, and the associated issues of gender, class, and what would now be called `brainwashing'; and also the comparison between `modern' and `primitive' cultures, taking note of the development of socio-political institutions such as marriage and property. |